PALEO, VEGAN, DAIRY FREE & GLUTEN FREE

If you are ever feeling chilly & a little under the weather I have created something that will fill you with warmth and goodness. I know its (meant to be) spring right now but looking out my window I cant help but feel that I am stuck in the winter months. Irish weather has a personality kind of like politicians, unpredictable and dull! But honestly this soup is guaranteed to brighten/warm up those miserable days. Give it a go, you wont be disappointed. God, I almost forgot when making this soup it is definitely worth making my gluten free walnut and sultana bread to accompany it. The combination of the sweetly salty bread and the nutty roasted cauliflower is out of this world, seriously!

METHOD

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and cut out the stalk. Pull off the florets and spread them out on a baking tray. Sprinkle over a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast for 50 minutes until golden brown.

When the cauliflower is roasted you can start dicing the white onion. Add the chopped onion to this to a large pot with a generous glug of olive oil,salt and pepper over a medium heat. You don't want to fry the onion or give it any color, you are just looking to soften it. While the onion is gently cooking start chopping the 2 garlic cloves. You don't have to be precise with how finely chopped the garlic is, as everything is going to be blended at the end. Add the chopped garlic to the pot after a couple of minutes.

I find it easier to mash the stock cubes in a pestle and mortar before adding them to the soup, this just ensures that you don't find any lumps of stock throughout. Add the stock cubes to the soup mixing them throughly with the onion and garlic. Next pour in the boiling water and add the chopped roasted cauliflower. Depending on the size of your pot you may need more or less water. Just make sure that all the florets are completely submerged in the water. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes, a good bit of the water will evaporate during this time. Then allow simmer for a further 20 minutes. Your soup is ready to blend when the cauliflower is soft. Remove the pot from the heat, using a handheld blender blitz until the soup is completely smooth. I always leave majority of the seasoning untill last. Give a hefty pinch of salt, pepper & grate in half of the nutmeg.